The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[slordaz]

well we let the mean one back today after a week penned up with the his almost 5 month old son then moving his son back 2 days ago he was more than upset but when we let him back into the flock he's being a perfect rooster now. so may take more than 3 days as this was 3rd time we had separated him from the flock, only reason he wasn't sent to freezer camp like the other mean one is he is an amazing flock protector, this time he ended up being separated a total of 10 days right next to them, no status problems putting em back together. the 2 main roosters are a year and a half old in my flock and have at least 2 other cockerels I haven't found a home for yet, they will put them in their place but aren't super mean about it anymore

They were penned up right next to each other just the fence between them they could see each other and talk but knew they had been removed and couldn't get to the hens, figured his son needed that lesson already as he's been protector of the pullets and was starting to get cocky and mean like his dad.

a lot depends on your personal preference and what your set up is. ours just had the fence between em, they can fly and could have if they chose to, but remembered last time they tried that they got penned up in the dog carrier so choose to have their freedom instead of pushing their limits.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I put the 2 Buckeye boys in the little house late yesterday afternoon. I had observed them doing the obligatory chest bumping fights several times when I was out there yesterday so I wanted to move them pretty quickly. Had originally planned on Saturday but I nabbed them up and put them in the house before running out for an evening appointment.

I have to do some maintenance on the kennel pen attached before they can go outdoors, but I want them to be inside for at least a day to get used to the new house anyhow.

At this point I think I'm going to do a tarp for visual separation on the kennel side that's toward the main flock. I think that will make things easier for the boy that is left with the flock to take his position. I guess I'll see after some observation how it all goes.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I don't know if i shared this here, but heres my lead rooster letting a chick peck his wattles the day i opened up the pen. He stood there calmly taking it, than gently walked away afterwards. He's a good rooster.

I know I replied to this before, but this photo - and the demeanor of this roo toward the babies - is just amazing to me.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I know I replied to this before, but this photo - and the demeanor of this roo toward the babies - is just amazing to me. 

Thank you, he's a really great dominant rooster, he keeps everyone in line without being aggressive. He makes good decisions and keeps the other roosters in line.

I thought for sure he was going out last year as he reached 4 when most of my large breed roosters would die, and he was looking old. I switched everyone off of layer and onto an all flock and he came back to life and is now back to his old self.

So don't feed layer to your roosters. He is the first large breed to live past 4. My bantam roosters have always lived longer, and I realized it's probably because they were on grower more than half the year because they raise chicks most years.

An intelligent rooster should think all chicks are his, or potentially his and shouldn't be aggressive. My bantam roosters get right in there and feed the chicks and look after them. The instinct to do so hasn't been bred out of them as much I think.

I was really proud of my big boy watching him be so careful and gentle with the chicks. I have found that buff Orpingtons as a breed are more gentle with their interactions with other chickens. My second rooster, also a buff Orpington has been a bit of a butt, but has been improving over the last season, he's 2.

Hopefully your buckeye work out, I am interested in seeing how your boys look as adults. They remind me of my rose comb RIR.

 

[Leahs Mom]

So far I've never fed a commercial processed feed. I've been grinding my own. It will be interesting to see how they do if I ever have one get older!

Tell me about the Buff Orpingtons. I kept reading that they take more feed than other birds. Is that a "chicken legend"?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Heavier breeds tend to eat more, the pay off is they are a bit calmer and personable. The hens aren't real productive, 3-5 eggs a week, but they lay longer in their lives and seem to live long healthy lives. They are easy going mild mannered birds and are one of my favorite large breeds. Both my dominant hen and rooster are buff Orpingtons and neither has ever been seen abusing their position. My old grandma hen controls her minions with a stern stare that is respected. She unfortunately has arthritis in her feet and is starting to look old.

I realize I'm rambling about my birds. I haven't noticed them consuming more feed than other breeds. They can take two years to reach full size. I like big fluffy birds that aren't terrified of me. If I could only keep one large breed it would be them.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Heavier breeds tend to eat more, the pay off is they are a bit calmer and personable. The hens aren't real productive, 3-5 eggs a week, but they lay longer in their lives and seem to live long healthy lives. They are easy going mild mannered birds and are one of my favorite large breeds. Both my dominant hen and rooster are buff Orpingtons and neither has ever been seen abusing their position. My old grandma hen controls her minions with a stern stare that is respected. She unfortunately has arthritis in her feet and is starting to look old.

I realize I'm rambling about my birds. I haven't noticed them consuming more feed than other breeds. They can take two years to reach full size. I like big fluffy birds that aren't terrified of me. If I could only keep one large breed it would be them.

Thank you for that description. For so long they've had a bad reputation in what I've read for being "big hogs".

I'm really wanting to be done with mean aggressive breeds if I can figure out which ones to get.

Have you ever had any other orp ... Jubilee, Mille Fleur, chocolate, etc.? If so how do they compare?

 

[Leahs Mom]

@oldhenlikesdogs

Do you just let your breeds all run together and produce "barnyard mixes" or do you separate them to be sure you're getting specific breeds during egg gathering for hatch time?

 

[slordaz]

So far I've never fed a commercial processed feed. I've been grinding my own. It will be interesting to see how they do if I ever have one get older!

Tell me about the Buff Orpingtons. I kept reading that they take more feed than other birds. Is that a "chicken legend"?

I think probably legend Leah, I have BR,BO, BS and now SW and a couple stray leghorns, but they all free range for a good part of the day too and they all seem to eat about the same amount of the laying feed other than the leghorns are light weights only time i've seen them eat the laying feed is winter

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

@oldhenlikesdogs


Do you just let your breeds all run together and produce "barnyard mixes" or do you separate them to be sure you're getting specific breeds during egg gathering for hatch time?

I do let everyone run free. I don't hatch too often and prefer to buy chicks so it doesn't matter to me. I have troubles butchering roosters because I get attached so I currently buy most of my new chicks, I do hatch out some bantams some years, and this year I tried hatching some purchased eggs, so I do have extra roosters to deal with this year. I would separate birds into pens if I wanted to hatch from a particular pair.